Wilmington NC Fishing Report Today

Fishing Reports - Daily
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Daily

Get the latest updates on fishing conditions in Wilmington, North Carolina, with the 'Wilmington NC Fishing Report Today.' Our daily podcast offers real-time insights on tides, weather, fish activity, and the best spots to cast your line. Perfect for local anglers or visitors, we provide expert advice, interviews with seasoned fishermen, and all the info you need for a great day on the water in Wilmington. Tune in daily for everything you need to know about fishing in Wilmington, NC! For more https://www.quietperiodplease.com/ Get all your gear befoe you leave the dock https://amzn.to/3zF8GXk This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

  1. 8h ago

    Early Summer Heat: Reds, Flounder, and Trout on the Fall Tide Around Wilmington

    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your coastal Carolina fishing report for the Wilmington area. We’re sitting under a classic early‑summer pattern: warm, muggy air, light southwest breeze, and a mix of sun and clouds. Offshore storms are possible later, but the morning starts fairly calm with a light chop inside the river and around the inlets. Air temps climb fast into the upper 80s to low 90s, so plan on that mid‑day heat bearing down hard. First light hits not long after 5:45 a.m., with sunrise just before 6, and sunset just after 8:20 p.m., giving you a long window to work low‑light periods. Those dawn and dusk hours will be your best bet for topwater and shallow‑water action. On the tide, the Cape Fear around Wilmington and down toward Carolina Beach is seeing a higher morning tide, falling through late morning and into early afternoon, then a rising tide late day and into the evening. That dropping tide pulling water off the grass and out of the creeks has been the key feeding window the last few days, especially for redfish and flounder staging on the edges. Inshore, the red drum bite has been solid in the marshes behind Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. Anglers have been picking off slot reds in 2–4 feet of water along oyster points and flooded grass edges. A 3–4 inch paddle‑tail on a 1/8 oz jighead in natural baitfish colors, or a gold spoon slow‑rolled along the banks, has been producing. Live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork are still hard to beat, especially on that first hour of the falling tide. Speckled trout are a little spottier in the heat, but folks working deeper creek mouths and dock lines early with MirrOlure‑style hard baits, small topwaters, and soft plastics on light jigheads are still finding a few keepers mixed with shorts. If you can get live shrimp, slip them under a cork in 4–6 feet near current breaks and shade. Flounder reports around the inlets and river ledges have picked up. Most are just keeper size, with a few bigger fish taken from the Cape Fear rock walls and Carolina Beach Inlet. Finger mullet and mud minnows on Carolina rigs, or Gulp! swimming mullet on a jig dragged slowly along the bottom, are the go‑to offerings. Focus on the last of the falling and the first push of the incoming tide. On the piers at Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, bottom rigs tipped with fresh shrimp, cut mullet, or sand fleas have been putting croaker, spots, sea mullet, and a few pompano in the bucket. Early and late, you’ve got a shot at Spanish mackerel and blues chasing glass minnows just outside the breakers—cast small metal spoons or Gotcha plugs and work them fast. Nearshore, the Spanish bite has been steady on the wrecks and hard bottom within a few miles of the beach. Trolling small Clark spoons behind planers or mackerel trees has been producing good numbers, with the occasional king mixed in. If the water stays clean and that southwest wind doesn’t crank too hard, expect that to continue. Couple of hotspots to circle for today: – The marsh and creek network behind Masonboro Island, especially drains dumping into the ICW on the falling tide, has been giving up reds and a few flounder. – The Cape Fear River rock walls and nearby ledges down toward Southport have been holding flounder, reds, and some mixed drum and trout where the current breaks behind structure. Best all‑around artificial lineup right now: 3–4 inch paddle‑tails in white, silver, and new penny; gold spoons; small topwaters in bone or mullet patterns; and Gulp! soft baits for bumping the bottom. Best bait: live shrimp, finger mullet, and mud minnows, followed by fresh cut mullet. Hydrate, watch those storms, and mind the afternoon sea breeze when it kicks up. That’s your Wilmington‑area fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  2. 1d ago

    Early Summer Cape Fear: Reds, Specks, and Inlet Action – Tide Strategy Guide

    This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up along the Cape Fear. Light southwest breeze this morning, climbing toward the mid‑80s this afternoon with humidity creeping up and a small chance of a pop‑up thunderstorm late day. Water temps are running in the upper 70s to low 80s inshore and nearshore. According to the National Weather Service marine outlook, seas are sitting around 2 to 3 feet with a light chop inshore. Tide-wise, NOAA’s Cape Fear River and Masonboro Inlet gauges show a predawn low tide, a strong incoming through the morning, and a mid‑afternoon high. That gives you a great moving‑water window from first light through late morning, then again late day as the water dumps out. Sunrise is right around 6 a.m. and sunset near 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long day of low‑angle light to work those shadows along docks, marsh edges, and oyster bars. Inshore, red drum and speckled trout have been the headliners. Local inshore reports say slot reds are chewing around the ICW docks from Wrightsville down toward Carolina Beach—especially where there’s shade and current. Anglers have been finding 2–4 fish per stop on the better docks, with a few upper‑slot and over‑slot reds mixed in. Specks are still hanging in creek mouths and along grass points with good current; most catches are in that 14–18 inch range, with a few keepers pushing 20 inches. Flounder action has picked up around inlets and deeper creek bends. Several local tackle shops reported anglers catching 3–6 flounder a trip, with a mix of shorts and a few solid keepers near structure and channel edges. Nearshore, the Spanish mackerel bite has been steady at the inlets and along the beaches on the early‑morning tide, especially just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach in 20–40 feet. Most boats trolling light spoons are reporting double‑digit bites when the fish push bait to the surface. A few kings have been caught on slow‑trolled live baits around the nearshore wrecks and ledges. Best lures right now: - For reds: 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads in natural baitfish or new penny colors, plus gold spoons slow‑rolled along grass edges. - For trout: small paddletails and shrimp imitations under popping corks, along with suspending hard baits worked slow at daybreak. - For flounder: Gulp shrimp or swimming mullet on a heavier jig, hopped along the bottom around inlets and docks. - For Spanish: small Clark or casting spoons, and glass‑minnow‑style metal jigs ripped fast on light wire or fluoro. Best natural baits: live mud minnows, small finger mullet, and live shrimp. A Carolina rig or a simple jig head with a live minnow is still putting the most flounder and reds in the boat. For Spanish and kings, cigar minnows and live menhaden slow‑trolled over structure are hard to beat. Couple of hot spots to keep on your radar: - Masonboro Inlet and the jetties: solid mix of reds, specks, and flounder around the rocks and nearby bars on that incoming tide. - Snow’s Cut and adjacent ICW docks: good current, plenty of shade, and consistent redfish and flounder when you work each piling thoroughly. Work the moving water, keep an eye out for birds and bait flipping on the surface, and be ready to downsize your tackle if the water gets clear and the fish finicky. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  3. 2d ago

    Early Summer Bite: Red Drum, Trout, and Spanish Mackerel Off Wilmington

    This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up from the river to the beach. Around Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, weather today is warm and muggy with light southwest winds building in the afternoon, scattered clouds, and a small chance of a pop-up shower. Air temps are pushing the upper 80s to low 90s, so plan on a hot one by lunchtime. Sunrise over the water is right around a quarter after six, with sunset just after eight-thirty, giving you a long window to work the low-light bite. First light and the last hour of daylight are still your best bets for topwater and shallow-water action. For tides, the Cape Fear and Intracoastal are seeing a morning high followed by an outgoing tide through late morning, then a low midafternoon and a strong incoming into the evening. That falling water has been key around creek mouths, docks, and marsh edges, especially for speckled trout and red drum. Inshore, anglers have been picking up good numbers of **red drum**, **speckled trout**, and **flounder**. The reds have been cruising flooded grass and shell banks on the higher water, then dropping to deeper edges as the tide falls. Gulp shrimp on a 1/8-ounce jighead, gold spoons, and weedless paddletails in natural colors have been producing. For bait, live mud minnows and finger mullet under a popping cork around oyster points and creek mouths have been solid. Speckled trout are hanging in deeper bends and around current breaks on the last of the falling and first of the incoming tide. MirrOlure-style hard baits, small paddletails, and live shrimp under a cork are doing the work. Early, you can still get some blowups on topwater walkers over grass lines and along the ICW. Flounder reports have been improving with keeper fish coming off Carolina rigs and jigheads tipped with live minnows or Gulp along the bottom near inlets, bridges, and sandy drops. Work slow and stay in contact with the bottom. Nearshore, within a few miles of the beach, folks are finding **Spanish mackerel**, **bluefish**, and some **king mackerel** on the nearshore reefs and hardbottom. Small Clarkspoons and mackerel trees behind planers have been loading up on Spanish, especially on the early-morning tide. Slow-trolling live menhaden around nearshore structure is a good play for kings. Offshore, boats running to the Gulf Stream and deeper structure have been into **mahi**, **blackfin tuna**, and some **sailfish**, along with a steady **bottom bite** of snapper, grouper, and beeliners when conditions allow. A couple of local hot spots to consider: – **Masonboro Inlet and surrounding jetties**: Great mix of trout, reds, flounder, and Spanish. Work the rocks with jigs and live bait on the moving tide. – **Carolina Beach Inlet and Snow’s Cut**: Productive for reds and flounder around docks, rock walls, and deeper holes, especially on that dropping tide. If you’re wading or fishing from shore, the surf along Carolina Beach and Kure Beach is giving up sea mullet, pompano, and some slot reds on shrimp, sand fleas, and small Fishbites-style baits on double-drop rigs. Best overall lures right now: – Paddletail soft plastics in natural baitfish colors – Gulp shrimp or swimming mullet on light jigheads – Gold spoons and small topwaters for reds and trout – Small metal spoons and mackerel trees for Spanish Best baits: live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and fresh cut mullet. That’s your Wilmington fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  4. 3d ago

    Early Summer Red Drum & Trout Bite Heating Up Around Wilmington Inlets

    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington fishing report. We’re sitting under a classic early‑summer pattern: warm, humid, and mostly light southwest breeze building into 10–15 by afternoon. Air temps are running upper 70s at first light, pushing mid to upper 80s later, with a heat index that’ll nudge you toward the shade by midday. Skies are partly cloudy with a decent shot at a pop‑up storm late day, so keep an eye on the western horizon. Sunrise is right around 6:00 a.m., with sunset close to 8:30 p.m., giving you a long stretch of low‑light prime time. The best windows are first light through mid‑morning and the last two hours before dark, especially if those periods line up with moving water. Tides around the Cape Fear and Wrightsville/Carolina Beach area are on a mid‑range cycle: expect a pre‑dawn low pushing in through the morning and high water late morning toward midday, dropping back out through the afternoon into evening. Inshore fishing has been best on the first half of the incoming and the first of the falling tide when that cooler ocean water slides over the flats and bait gets pushed off the edges. Inshore, red drum have been the headliners. Local reports from the Wrightsville Beach area say slot reds are chewing along grass edges, oyster bars, and dock lines in the creeks off the Intracoastal. Schools of smaller fish with a few upper‑slot mixed in. Best producers have been 3–4 inch paddletail soft plastics in natural mullet or pearl on 1/8 oz jig heads, along with fresh cut mullet or menhaden on Carolina rigs. Topwater walkers at daybreak around flooded grass have drawn some explosive strikes. Speckled trout action has ticked up around the inlets and deeper creek mouths, especially where you’ve got 4–8 feet of water and good current. MirrOlures and small suspending twitch baits in silver/green, or live shrimp under a popping cork, have been the go‑tos. Most fish are keeper size with a few gators reported by anglers working early and staying quiet. Flounder are hanging near creek mouths, sandy drop‑offs, and around bridge and dock pilings. Folks soaking live mud minnows or finger mullet on bottom rigs are finding a mix of unders and a few solid keepers. White Gulp shrimp and chartreuse swimming mullet on light jig heads have also been putting flatfish in the box, especially when bounced slowly along the bottom on the falling tide. Nearshore, a short ride off Masonboro Inlet has been producing Spanish mackerel around the inlets and along the beach. Trolling small Clark spoons behind planers or mackerel trees is doing the trick, with some anglers sight‑casting metal spoons to breaking fish when the bait pushes up. Mixed in are bluefish, so don’t be surprised if something with teeth trims your fluorocarbon. A couple of hot spots to circle: – The Masonboro Inlet jetties and nearby ICW docks have been steady for reds, trout, and flounder on moving water, especially the first of the incoming. – The Carolina Beach Inlet area and the Snow’s Cut stretch of the ICW have yielded good red drum and flounder counts, particularly around deeper bends and structure on the falling tide. Best overall baits right now: live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and cut menhaden. Best artificials: small silver or green metal spoons for Spanish, 3–4 inch paddletails and shrimp imitations for inshore, and topwaters at dawn around flooded grass and shell. That’s the rundown from in and around Wilmington. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  5. 4d ago

    Early Summer Bite: Red Drum, Trout, and Flounder Off Wilmington's Cape Fear

    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington fishing report. Out on the lower Cape Fear and the creeks off the ICW this morning, we’ve got a classic early‑summer setup. Light southwest breeze building to 10–15 by afternoon, muggy, and a mix of sun and clouds. Air temps running from the low 70s at first light into the mid to upper 80s by late day. Marine forecast has 1–2 foot seas nearshore, a little chopped up with the afternoon sea breeze. Sunrise is right around 6 a.m., with sunset close to 8:25 p.m., so you’ve got a long window, but the **best bite** has been early and then again toward dusk when that heat backs off and the bait pushes shallow. Tide-wise, around the riverfront and Carolina Beach Inlet you’re looking at a mid‑morning high and an afternoon falling tide. That outgoing water has been the moneymaker: cleaner edges on the bars and good current around dock pilings and creek mouths. Inshore, redfish and flounder have been sitting right on those drops where the water spills out of the grass. Recent catches up and down the Wilmington area have been solid: - **Red drum**: plenty of slot fish with a few upper‑slot mixed in, mostly around marsh points, oyster bars, and ICW docks. - **Speckled trout**: numbers aren’t crazy, but some nice keepers showing early in the morning on topwater and soft plastics. - **Flounder**: a decent pick for folks working live bait along channel edges and around the bridges. - Nearshore reefs a few miles off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach are holding **Spanish mackerel**, **blues**, and the odd **king** for folks trolling spoons and small plugs. If you’re throwing artificials, early and late go with **topwater**: Spook‑style walkers or poppers in bone, silver, or mullet patterns over grass flats and around creek mouths. Once the sun’s up, switch to **paddle‑tail soft plastics** on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads in natural colors—mullet, silver/gray, or new penny—bounced along the bottom for reds and flounder. For trout, a 3‑ to 4‑inch soft plastic on a light jig, worked mid‑column on current breaks, has been consistent. For bait, you can’t beat **live shrimp**, **mud minnows**, or small **finger mullet** under a popping cork around shell and grass for reds and trout. On the bottom, Carolina‑rigged mullet or menhaden along channel edges will find flounder and the occasional drum. Nearshore, small **Clarkspoons** or similar metals behind planers or trolling weights are producing Spanish and blues when the sun gets up and they start slashing on glass minnows. A couple of local hot spots to circle: - The creeks and marsh behind **Masonboro Island**, working the edges on the last of the incoming and the first of the fall for reds and flounder. - The stretch of ICW and adjacent creeks around **Carolina Beach Inlet**, especially on that dropping tide as water runs out of the grass. If you’re willing to run a little, the nearshore reefs off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach—like the closer ARs—have been steady for Spanish and the occasional king when the bait is thick on the surface. That’s your Wilmington area fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    3 min

  6. 5d ago

    Wilmington Early Summer: Reds, Trout & Flounder Bite On the Rise

    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Wilmington fishing report. We’ve got a classic early‑summer pattern setting up along the Cape Fear. Weather today around Wilmington is warm and muggy, with highs pushing into the upper 80s, a light southwest breeze most of the day, and only a slight chance of a pop‑up storm this afternoon. Skies run partly cloudy, so expect decent sight conditions on the flats when the sun’s up. Sunrise is right around 5:55 a.m., with sunset close to 8:25 p.m., giving you a long window to work the tides. Around the Masonboro and Cape Fear inlets, we’re looking at a morning high tide just after sun‑up and an afternoon low mid‑day, with the second high rolling in toward evening. That means moving water during the prime low‑light hours — perfect for topwater. Inshore, the redfish and speckled trout bite has been steady in the creeks off the Intracoastal and around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. Anglers working dawn and dusk are picking off slot reds mixed with some over‑slot bruisers along grass lines and oyster points. Trout catches have been a mix of 14–18 inch keepers with a few bigger gators showing up around deeper bends and dock lights at night. Flounder action has picked up over the last week around Carolina Beach Inlet, Snow’s Cut, and the Masonboro jetties. Most fish are in that 14–18 inch class, with the occasional doormat coming from live bait dragged tight to structure. Off the beach, Spanish mackerel and blues are running just outside the inlets, especially early when the glass minnows and small pogies are getting pushed to the top. Folks trolling are finding good numbers, and there’ve been some scattered king mackerel on the nearshore reefs and hardbottom in the 5–15 mile range. A few cobia and big drum are still popping up around bait pods, so keep an eye out. Best baits and lures right now: - For reds: cut mullet, live shrimp, or mud minnows on a Carolina rig or jighead. Artificial‑wise, paddle‑tail swimbaits in natural mullet or new penny colors, and a gold spoon slow‑rolled along the grass are hard to beat. - For specks: 3–4 inch soft plastics on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, MirrOlure style suspending baits, and small topwaters in bone or silver/black at first light. - For flounder: live finger mullet or mud minnows on a Carolina rig, or a white or chartreuse Gulp! swimming mullet dragged across the bottom. - For Spanish and blues: small Clark spoons or casting metal like Got‑Cha plugs and glass minnow jigs; chrome and chartreuse are producing. - For nearshore kings: slow‑trolled live menhaden or cigar minnows on stinger rigs around the AR reefs and ledges. Couple of hotspots to circle for today: - Masonboro Inlet and the adjacent jetties: work the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing for reds, trout, and flounder, then slide just outside for Spanish when the tide starts ripping. - Carolina Beach Inlet and Snow’s Cut: fish the deeper holes and dock edges with live bait for flounder and reds, and hit the bridge shadow lines at moving tide for trout. Focus your efforts on the first two hours of daylight and the last two before dark, especially when they line up with that incoming or just‑starting‑to‑fall tide. Keep moving until you find clean water and bait; where the mullet and shrimp are, the fish won’t be far behind. That’s it from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  7. 6d ago

    Early Summer Trout and Red Drum Bite Heating Up Around Wilmington Inlets

    This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer setup this morning. Light southwest breeze around 5 to 10 knots along the beaches, building a bit in the afternoon, with air temps pushing into the low to mid 80s and muggy. Skies are partly cloudy, with a chance of a popup shower inland late day. According to the National Weather Service marine forecast, near‑shore seas are running 2 to 3 feet with a light chop, very manageable for small boats. Sunrise is right around 6:00 a.m., with sunset near 8:25 p.m., so you’ve got a long feeding window, but the best bite has been early and late when that sun is low. Tides around Masonboro Inlet today are running a typical summer range. Low tide falls mid‑morning, with a strong incoming pushing through late morning into early afternoon, then another low tonight. That first couple hours of incoming around creek mouths and marsh drains has been money for inshore action. Inshore, the speckled trout bite has picked up again with slightly cooler nighttime temps. Folks working the ICW edges from Wrightsville Beach up toward Figure Eight and down toward Carolina Beach have been picking off good numbers of schoolie trout with a few nicer keepers mixed in. The hot ticket has been small paddletails and jerk shads in natural colors—think opening night or smokey shad—on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads, plus MirrOlure style hard baits at first light. Live shrimp under a popping cork around docks and grass lines are still hard to beat if you can find them. Red drum are chewing around the marshes behind Wrightsville, down in the Carolina Beach backwaters, and along the docks in the Cape Fear. Anglers report decent numbers of slot fish with a few over-slot brutes showing up. Cut mullet or fresh menhaden on Carolina rigs fished on the bottom at the edge of the grass, plus live finger mullet if you can net them, have been very productive. For artificials, gold spoons and white or new penny paddletails are getting crushed on that moving tide. Flounder are showing up more consistently around inlets, docks, and near‑shore structure. Most are shorts, but there are some keepers in the mix. The best setup has been a live mud minnow or finger mullet on a jighead or fish‑finder rig bounced slowly along the bottom. Gulp shrimp in white or chartreuse are also putting fish in the boat for folks who cover water. On the near‑shore reefs—like the ARs just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach—Spanish mackerel have been thick when the water cleans up. Trolling small Clarkspoons, tiny Drone spoons, or glass‑minnow style casting jigs behind planers or #1 Sea Striker planers has produced steady action. Early morning, you can ease up on surface feeds and pitch small metal jigs or Got-Cha plugs to busting fish for fast limits. King mackerel have been holding a bit farther off, but a few teenagers and smoker‑class fish have been taken slow‑trolling live menhaden or bluefish over the same near‑shore structure when the water’s a bit greener and bait is stacked. Keep a stinger rig ready. Two local hot spots to keep in mind today: Masonboro Inlet and the jetty area: Working the rocks on the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming has produced trout, reds, flounder, and Spanish. Just watch your boat position and the swell. The Carolina Beach Inlet and Snows Cut area: Good mixed‑bag action—reds on the edges, trout on deeper bends, and flounder around rock and dock structure, especially on that incoming tide. Overall fish activity has been strong at dawn and again the last hour of light. Midday is tougher with the high sun, so slow down and fish deeper or look for moving current. That’s your Wilmington fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min

  8. Jun 8

    Early Summer Bite: Topwater Reds and Specks Around Wilmington

    This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer setup around Wilmington. Morning temps are starting in the low 70s, climbing into the mid to upper 80s by afternoon, with a light southwest breeze building sea breeze-style toward midday. Skies are partly cloudy, humidity is up, and that’s got the inshore bite turning on around the moving water. Sunrise is right around 6 a.m., sunset near 8:25 p.m., so your prime windows are first light to mid‑morning and the last couple hours before dark. That low‑light period has been key for specks and topwater redfish in the creeks. Cape Fear River and ICW tides today run on a mid‑morning high and late‑afternoon low, with about a 4 to 5 foot swing depending on how close you are to the inlets. Think closer to 5 feet around Masonboro and Carolina Beach inlets, a touch less up the river. Plan to fish the last of the incoming and first of the falling; that’s when the water is cleanest and bait is moving. Inshore, local chatter from tackle shops around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach has red drum, speckled trout, and flounder all showing decent numbers. Reds are slot‑class with a few over‑slots on the flats and along marsh edges, especially where mullet and shrimp are thick. Specks are mixed sizes, a lot of 14–18 inch fish with the odd bigger one around creek mouths and dock lines. Flounder reports are picking up around the inlets and in deeper bends of the creeks. Best lures right now: - For reds: walk‑the‑dog topwaters in bone or chrome at first light, then 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigheads with 3–4 inch paddle tails in new penny, electric chicken, or natural baitfish patterns once the sun is up. Gold spoons still produce along grass lines. - For specks: suspending twitch baits in natural glass‑minnow colors, plus soft plastics on light jigs bounced along drop‑offs. A small popping cork rigged with a shrimp‑imitating soft plastic is working well on the edges of oyster bars. - For flounder: slow‑rolled Gulp swimming mullet or grub‑style plastics on heavier jigheads near the bottom around inlets, bridge pilings, and channel edges. If you’re soaking bait, mud minnows and finger mullet are the go‑to inshore baits right now. Live shrimp, if you can find them, have been deadly under corks for trout and reds. Cut mullet is getting plenty of attention from bigger drum along the river ledges and around current breaks. Nearshore, the artificial reefs and ledges within 10–15 miles have been giving up Spanish mackerel, blues, and some king mackerel, plus a mix of sea bass and other bottom fish. Clarkspoons and small dusters trolled fast along the beach are a solid bet for Spanish, especially early when the glass minnows are showering. For kings, slow‑trolling live menhaden on stinger rigs is still the top play. A couple of hot spots to circle on your chart: Masonboro Inlet and the adjacent jetties continue to hold flounder, reds, and a mix of Spanish just off the beach. Work the slack to early falling tide with jigs and live bait. Up the road, the creeks and marshes off the ICW behind Wrightsville Beach are producing specks and reds around shell points and docks, particularly on that early morning incoming water. Boat traffic and heat will push fish tighter to structure and shade by late morning, so downsize your leader, slow your presentation, and fish the shadows of docks, bridges, and deeper creek bends. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

    4 min
See All (366)

Trailers

About

Get the latest updates on fishing conditions in Wilmington, North Carolina, with the 'Wilmington NC Fishing Report Today.' Our daily podcast offers real-time insights on tides, weather, fish activity, and the best spots to cast your line. Perfect for local anglers or visitors, we provide expert advice, interviews with seasoned fishermen, and all the info you need for a great day on the water in Wilmington. Tune in daily for everything you need to know about fishing in Wilmington, NC! For more https://www.quietperiodplease.com/ Get all your gear befoe you leave the dock https://amzn.to/3zF8GXk This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

Information

More From Fishing Reports - Daily

You Might Also Like